The wind wasn’t the only thing howling at Fort William Historical Park.
More than 30 sled dogs barked and howled at the old Fort on Sunday as they gave about 80 students and medical professionals a ride around the trails. The event was in part to introduce new doctors from other countries such as Iran and Egypt to some Canadian culture.
Neurologist Ayman Hassan moved to Canada from Egypt along with his wife Gynan Dissouki and their 17-year-old-son Mohamed a few years ago. He practiced for some time in London, Ont. before he eventually made his way to Thunder Bay.
Since coming to Canada, he’s been able to adjust a bit but it was still a shocking experience, he said.
“The good thing is the winter has been so kind to us,” Hassan said. “I didn’t think it was a major problem. The most serious problem was driving. Early in November, I hit black ice and the car skid from one side to the other. I thought ‘this is the end’.”
He said he quickly learned that the way to survive the winter roads is to drive slowly.
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Hassan has never been dogsledding before but said he wasn’t nervous about meeting the dogs. Gynan admitted that she was a bit nervous but they both wanted to experience Canadian culture.
“She’s phobic of dogs so I hope she doesn’t run and scream,” he said jokingly.
Paul Amano, owner of Boreal Journeys Sled Dog Kennel, said the biggest myth people have about sled dogs is that they believe they are only working dogs. Amano, who has worked with sled dogs for 14 years, said he sees his dogs as part of his family and added the secret to training them is fun.
“When we have pups everything is fun,” Amano said. “It’s not work strictly with them. They are my family. They are top quality athletes but they still sleep on my bed. Some nights they still hang out on the couch. They still do everything that a pet dog does but we have a hobby that we do together.”
Amano said dog sledding has a lot of history in Northwestern Ontario because many relied on dogs as their main transportation during the winter.
Amano’s dogs may look small compared to the larger huskies seen in Disney films. Amano said it’s because those dogs seen on the big screen are for Arctic expeditions and smaller dogs are for the forests and trails so they can dart around quickly.
“The long legged about 50 to 60 pound dog that’s what is historically used in this region,” he said. “Those big poofy guys were used in the Arctic.”
Follow Jeff Labine on Twitter @labine_reporter
